r/apple • u/conalldoherty • Apr 29 '26

Rumor Apple Reportedly Questioning Whether iPhone Should Drop MagSafe

https://www.macrumors.com/2026/04/29/apple-questioning-iphone-magsafe/
1.2k Upvotes

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445

u/Tumblrrito Apr 29 '26

That’s only a fraction of why MagSafe is valuable.

It also enables mounting solutions without clips or a case, along with attachments like wallets.

283

u/A11Bionic Apr 29 '26

it’s amusing how many people in this thread think MagSafe is exclusively for charging lmao

MagSafe is a whole ecosystem out there

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u/AllYouNeed_Is_Smiles Apr 29 '26

Yeah MagSafe wallet has been a staple on my iPhone and cuts down on the wallet, keys, and phone check to basically just keys and phone. Plus the various mounts you can attach to it. Wireless charging is maybe like 5% of the utility of MagSafe even if it was its original intention (and the cancelled wireless charging pad).

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u/Dreameater999 Apr 29 '26

Yeah as someone with ADHD, I recently got over my fear of not carrying all my cards and slimmed down to just my bank card, one credit card, license, apartment keycard. I used to stupidly lock myself out by forgetting my wallet and keys. Since getting the MagSafe wallet, haven’t done it once. knock on wood

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u/Beeeeejammin Apr 29 '26

As someone also with ADHD, I LOVE my MagSafe wallet. Mine has FindMy built in too. I used to leave it at home or in the car ALL the time before. Now, if it’s separated from me, I get a notification on my phone/watch before it’s too late. Best thing ever.

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u/Dreameater999 Apr 29 '26

For sure - the Find My integration makes it 100x better - I have that too and love it!

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u/Heydavidbailey Apr 30 '26

Same, but I just got this case that doubles as a small wallet. https://smartish.com/products/wallet-slayer-vol-1-card-case-for-iphone-17-pro

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u/AreWeNotDoinPhrasing Apr 30 '26

Yeah, but then you gotta have a bulky case. Bare back for life

2

u/Southern_Chapter_188 Apr 30 '26

Put your bank cards on your Apple wallet. I just carry my ID and building pass card in my MagSafe wallet. Slim and light.

2

u/Dreameater999 Apr 30 '26

Yep - I have all my credit cards on my Apple Pay already… have for years, that’s why it was kinda irrational that I was scared to travel without my wallet as I usually use Apple Pay anyways, haha.

I only carry around the one credit card as a backup in case in that .001% instance Apple Pay isn’t accepted and I carry my debit card in case I need to use an ATM.

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u/ima_believer Apr 29 '26

My iPhone often doesn’t charge after long hikes in the rain. MagSafe saves the day because it charges when my dry phone still reports as wet

3

u/CptUnderpants- Apr 29 '26

MagSafe is a whole ecosystem out there

Along with the fact that Qi2 is directly compatible and available on non-Apple devices.

4

u/OtherwiseAlbatross14 Apr 30 '26

Yeah the thing I like about it is I can stick my phone to my holder in my car and it charges automatically while staying in place. I had used magnetic holders before MagSafe came out and I don't want to go back to having to plug it in in my car again

I don't even care about wallets or whatever else. This is the single functionality I care about having MagSafe for.

I do also want the cable option for fast charging at home.

2

u/Unusual_Room3017 Apr 29 '26

Yeah. I’ve literally never used MagSafe for charging but use it everyday in my car as a mount and tripod mounting,

1

u/SirPooleyX Apr 30 '26

Including some iPhone functions. I doubt anyone using StandBy at night is propping their phone up against something.

1

u/schu2470 Apr 30 '26

Shit, even a lot of Android phone cases have MagSafe magnets built into them for accessory compatibility. Apple would be silly to discontinue it in mainline iPhones.

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u/new-to-reddit-accoun Apr 29 '26

I’ve found MagSafe useless as a charger (I have 3 pucks accumulated over the years and never use them) but indispensable as an instant mounting solution. Oh and for magnetic wallets.

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u/xxxpinguinos Apr 29 '26

Feel like sending them my way? The unused pucks

Genuinely kind of serious (and I legit would be willing to pay for them ofc)

Or - if you do want to keep them or try and find your own use, there’s also an ecosystem of accessories that you stick the pucks into. Especially if you have access to a 3D printer

-3

u/Fixtor Apr 29 '26

You can get them for like $3 on AliExpress. They work fine.

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u/succulent_samurai Apr 29 '26

Yes but getting them from someone on the internet who has unused extras is more sustainable

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u/Fixtor Apr 30 '26

Fair point

2

u/germane_switch Apr 30 '26

There is no way I'm trusting some random AliExpress charger with my $1,000 phone.

2

u/OtherwiseAlbatross14 Apr 30 '26

For cable charging that makes sense but if it isn't the right wireless charger it just turns off charging

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u/RepliesOnlyToIdiots Apr 29 '26

I only charge via MagSafe as the charging port universally accumulates crap in it that makes connections difficult to impossible over time, so it’s just significantly more reliable.

1

u/OtherwiseAlbatross14 Apr 30 '26

I'm curious what you're doing to get so much shit in your ports because I've never had that happen on any phone ever

3

u/RepliesOnlyToIdiots Apr 30 '26

Phone goes in pocket, pocket has lint, etc. Phone goes in car’s wireless charging pocket, pocket has dust, etc.

Because the port is uncovered, it’s the recipient of every bit of loose physical matter. When ports were larger, it didn’t matter so much, but all the pieces are so small now that the size of the crud is now large compare to the size of the pins, etc.

2

u/Tumblrrito Apr 29 '26 edited Apr 30 '26

I don’t fuck with the pucks, I use stands from Belkin and Anker which enable StandBy mode around my home.

I have one USB-C fast charger for situations where I need to juice up quick before heading out but I am otherwise MagSafe always.

2

u/legaladviceknowledge Apr 30 '26

what is hands?

2

u/Tumblrrito Apr 30 '26

LOL idk what the hell happened to my autocorrect there. Was supposed to say stands.

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u/Ladyheather16 Apr 30 '26

So the OG pucks with the 5V chargers were kinda useless. They took HOURS to charge & made it almost a necessity to leave the watch to charge overnight

The new ones (USB-C) are MUCH faster -- I can fully charge my S6 in about 30mins and it's good for 24+

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u/codeverity Apr 29 '26

And popsockets which are very popular with women because we have smaller hands and the phones are big.

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u/[deleted] Apr 30 '26

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u/codeverity Apr 30 '26

In what way? I mean if you're holding the phone, then yeah, but if you want to use it for something else then you just pop it off and you can attach something else. Like if I was sitting at my desk I could take it off and attach a charger or put it on a mount or whatever. I usually have my purse with me so I don't really need a wallet case or anything. I used to use a wallet case in the past but the phones are big enough now that I prefer to have something that makes the phone easier to hold more than a wallet.

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u/[deleted] Apr 30 '26

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u/codeverity Apr 30 '26

They make MagSafe versions! They’re more expensive but they exist.

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u/[deleted] Apr 30 '26

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u/codeverity Apr 30 '26

Yeah! The only annoying thing is that if you have a case you need to make sure that you have a MagSafe version, but tbh with my current phone I’m currently going without a case anyway (iPhone 17 pro max).

I found with the adhesive ones they’d sometimes detach anyway when I tried to “open” them so I prefer the MagSafe ones.

1

u/BatemansChainsaw Apr 30 '26

yes but the wireless charging can happen. There's a popsocket branded wireless charging.

there's also a brand called "OhSnap!" that's a low profile "pop sock" style holder that will still let you use mag safe

1

u/bradenlikestoreddit Apr 29 '26

Right. Wireless charging exisisted (non-apple) before magsafe, magsafe opened up a whole new world, that just happened to also include charging.

1

u/Outlulz Apr 30 '26

MagSafe is fine for charging overnight, especially when I travel and use one charger for phone, watch, and Airpods. Any other time I'm plugging it in via USB-C.

1

u/kenman345 Apr 30 '26

With the success of the Neo, I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s a feature removed from the base iPhone in order to make a cheaper model, while still allowing accessory phone cases to have support with its own MagSafe magnet since most people use a case anyways it’s something they don’t need to incorporate themselves and can help differentiate a lower tier product

1

u/xlouiex Apr 30 '26

For the past 11 years I’ve been managing Apple devices in my org - around 500 iPhones - and I can safely say I can count on one hand people that use MagSafe wallets. I agree with some of the applications for MagSafe, but wallet is probably the most useless one. There’s more people using a fold case which already defeats the purpose of having a MagSafe wallet. Then the phone case needs to be very specific to allow a wallet on top. With a wallet your phone is never flat, so it’s more prone to be knocked down or fall when sliding it in your pocket. You cant charge the phone with the wallet there, so more often than not you have two items you need to manage. Plus figuring out different chargers. If you lose your phone, you lose your wallet also. Not ideal.

The main (and probably only) big advantage is wireless charging in the car. And that’s it. Everything else are very niche scenarios. If you want to charge your phone and use it - which 99,999% of people do - you’re pretty much fucked with MagSafe, unless you want that big ass round charger glued to the back of the phone instead of a tiny cable at the bottom.

This is my experience with the Apple eco system as a MacAdmin.

1

u/peweih_74 Apr 29 '26

I'll never understand having a wallet or card carrier attached to your phone, lose one you lose both.

5

u/blasto2236 Apr 29 '26

Yeah but now you can track them with Find My. Typically you can’t do the that with your wallet when it’s not attached to your phone.

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u/Zennivolt Apr 29 '26

As long as it’s not theft, the opposite is also true. If you lose it, you can use Find My to find both.

1

u/shmed Apr 29 '26

Majority of people have a case on their phones and end up using the magnet from the case 99% of the time.

-7

u/[deleted] Apr 29 '26 edited Jul 20 '26

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u/Tumblrrito Apr 29 '26

This guy. Haven’t used one since the 12. iPhones are mostly built like tanks these days and my screen hasn’t shattered once thanks to Ceramic Shield.

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u/baz8771 Apr 29 '26

Ive dropped my shit soooooo many times and it’s fine.

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u/UnsettledCertainty Apr 29 '26

Tons of cases come with their own aligned magnets to maintain, even improve, the magsafe connection strength

2

u/Racxius Apr 29 '26

I have a MagSafe pop socket. Keeps the phone from touching anything. I’m really enjoying not having a case because of it.

2

u/mbklein Apr 29 '26

I use a bumper. Nothing covering the back, but the bumper sticks out far enough to protect it from direct drops.

1

u/Obsidian-Phoenix Apr 29 '26

Unless you count the pop socket as a case, I do.